Russia and Turkey

It really wont work if everyone gets exactly what they want because there are too many conflicting positions.

What I am suggesting is that to start with the Kurds might get greater autonomy in their region, but it would have to include agreements not to agitate in other regions... ie they can't be a base in kurdish syria for terrorist attacks in other kurdish regions like turkey and Iran and Iraq.

At the end of the day the only reason the lines on the map of the middle east are where they are is because that divided up the known and suspected oil reserves in the immediate post WWI period when British and French bureaucrats were dividing the spoils of war.

At the end of the day Syria is going to have to give something up to get back the peace and stability they want... They might be able to offer the Kurds a situation where the Kurds are happy and wont demand full independence... but that will come at the negotiating table... not from the barrel of a gun.

Of course, I never said you said it and I did not mean to imply it... I was merely responding to the point about Syria working with the Kurds, which it will be hard to do because the Kurds will probably initially demand full independence and Syria will have to negotiate to get them to accept less than that.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian inspectors were scheduled to perform an observation flight on board the An-30B plane over the Turkish territory within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty on February 1-5.

"The itinerary included the observation of areas adjacent to the Turkish border with Syria, as well as airfields that host NATO warplanes. However, after the arrival of the Russian mission to Turkey and the announcement of the desired itinerary, the Turkish military officials refused to allow the inspection flight citing an order from the Turkish Foreign Ministry," head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergey Ryzhkov said in a statement.

Ryzhkov called the Turkish move "a dangerous precedent of uncontrolled military activity carried out by a member of the Open Skies Treaty.

"We are not going to leave this violation of the treaty by Turkey without proper attention and adequate response," the official stressed.

We should consider a possibility of legal review of all Russian-Turkish agreements that are unfavorable for our country and its allies, member of Russia’s State Duma Sergei Obukhov said

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Members of Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament) Valery Rashkin and Sergei Obukhov (Communist Party faction) have sent a letter to the country’s leadership and the Foreign Ministry proposing to denounce the Moscow Treaty of Friendship and Brotherhood signed On March 16, 1921, by the government of Soviet Russia (RSFSR) and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, writes Russia’s Izvestia daily which has obtained the text of the letter.

"We should consider a possibility of legal review of all Russian-Turkish agreements that are unfavorable for our country and its allies. Ankara must understand what the escalation of the conflict could be fraught with for it. Only this can bring it to earth and prevent it from carrying out new provocations," Obukhov told Izvestia.

The initiative has been supported by the Just Russia faction. According to State Duma member Oleg Pakholkov, the Moscow treaty was signed to the detriment of Russia’s interests.

Obukhov noted that "two of the three Transcaucasian republics - Georgia and Armenia - did not recognize the terms of the treaty considering it unfair." "One should realize that in 1921 the Bolshevik (Soviet) government was literally hanging by a single thread: the foreign intervention and civil war continued. Under those circumstances Soviet Russia could not speak from a position of strength and impose more favorable terms of the treaty on Turkey," the parliamentarian said.

The newspaper notes that under the treaty "the former Kars region and the southern part of the former Batumi region that were part of the Russian Empire since 1878 as well as former Surmalin district of Erivan Governorate that was part of the Russian Empire since 1828 with Mount Ararat were ceded to Turkey."

Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Feb. 2 its gas exports to Turkey increased by 3.4 percent in January from the same month a year earlier to 2.82 billion cubic meters (bcm), said Chairman of the company’s management committee Alexey Miller on Feb. 2, adding that the country is still Gazprom’s second-biggest customer now.

“The demand for Russian gas is growing consistently on the key markets, including Turkey. According to the latest update, in January 2016 Gazprom’s supplies to the country increased by 3.4 percent compared with the same period in 2015 to 2.82 bcm. It should be pointed out that Turkey is still number two among biggest buyers of Russian gas. According to preliminary estimates, more than 27 bcm of gas has been supplied to Turkey in 2015,” he said, as quoted by TASS News Agency.

Yes, if only, if only they hadn't gone crazy in an uncontrolled instant...

https://www.rt.com/business/333257-turkey-russian-tourists-return/

Turkish PM Ahmed Davutoglu said the government expects Russian tourists to come despite tensions between Ankara and Moscow, as shrinkage in the sector was “unexpected.” Russia earlier urged tourists not to visit Turkey, citing security concerns.

Nothing to do with Syria. This is commercial 'keep to the contract' negotiations.

The already strained relations between Moscow and Ankara have taken a turn for the worse. Gazprom has cut gas supplies by nearly a quarter after failing to reach an agreement with Turkish importers on discounts for Russian natural gas. Delivery is down 23 percent, compared to the same period last year, Interfax reports, quoting data from Bulgarian gas operator Bulgartransgaz that processes about 50 percent of Russian gas going to Turkey.

According to the news agency sources, the reduction is linked to a price dispute between Gazprom and Turkey's private gas importers. Last year, Gazprom gave the importers a 10.25 percent discount, but is now doing away with it as energy prices have dropped significantly.

Business daily Kommersant’s sources say Gazprom stopped giving the discount at the beginning of the year. For January deliveries, Turkish companies had to pay at a higher price, but on the payment date of February 21 they only paid the discounted price. As a result, Gazprom has cut the volume delivered by the size of the underpayment.

Enerco Enerji, Bosphorus Gaz, Avrasya Gaz, Shell, Bati Hatti and Kibar Enerji are the importers affected. Overall, they import 10 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year. Kommersant’s sources in the companies say the cancellation of the discount hurts their business, as they have signed contracts with clients based on the discount gas price. From the 1st to the 24th of February Gazprom under-delivered 117 million cubic meters worth $30 million, the newspaper’s calculations say. Kommersant added that Turkey could fine the Russian gas monopoly $2.5 million for not fulfilling its obligations.

The source in Gazprom claimed the reduction in supply will not affect supply of the Turkish market, "especially because Botas does not reach its contractual volumes." State-owned Botas imports about 17 billion cubic meters of Russian gas per year. In 2015, it didn’t get a discount from Gazprom due to the failure of the Turkish Stream negotiations and is now suing Gazprom.

Turkey may open its Incirlik airbase to Russia, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, during an interview to TRT channel.

One area of cooperation with Russia is the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria, Cavusoglu said.

“We’ll cooperate with everybody against the militant group,” the Foreign Minister noted.

“We opened our Incirlik base to those who wanted to actively join the fight against IS. Why shouldn’t we collaborate with Russia in this issue?”

Turkey downed a Russian warplane near the Syria border on Nov. 24, 2015, resulting in a seven-month diplomatic freeze. President Erdogan helped thaw relations by sending a letter to Putin expressing his deep sorrow over the incident.

higurashihougi wrote:Yes, if only, if only they hadn't gone crazy in an uncontrolled instant...

https://www.rt.com/business/333257-turkey-russian-tourists-return/

Turkish PM Ahmed Davutoglu said the government expects Russian tourists to come despite tensions between Ankara and Moscow, as shrinkage in the sector was “unexpected.” Russia earlier urged tourists not to visit Turkey, citing security concerns.

there´s no "craziness" in eopolitics probably this was pindos provocation, what if Erdogan even did not know and this was done behing his back? This warming up and gas talks is clear move against USA. Who is doing everything to aggravate situation? who nas been fighting with Russia gas pipelines? who is starting war with Russia?

During his meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg Aug. 9, Erdogan noted that Turkey will implement the Turkish Stream project.

“The Turkish Stream will have two pipeline strings – through one of them the gas will be supplied for Turkey’s domestic consumption, and through another one the gas will be supplied to Europe,” he said.

Russia abandoned the South Stream project in favor of Turkish Stream in December 2014, which involves the construction of the gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey through the Black Sea.

However, the project was frozen after the relations between Moscow and Ankara deteriorated in November 2015.

Strategic cooperation is underway with Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant in Mersin.

In the aftermath of the meeting between President Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım designated Akkuyu as a strategic investment base where the first steps will be taken. The incentive to be given to Rosatom will be further discussed. The Russian nuclear energy company will revive Turkey's first nuclear power plant Akkuyu, a project that was initially kick-started in the framework of an agreement signed between the two countries in 2010 and estimated to cost $22 billion. Along with Turkey's first-time implemented incentive system, the government will negotiate directly with Rosatom over the energy field, and the company will be provided with certain facilitations such as land, interest rate support in return for loans, energy discount and tax exemption.

Power plant will meet 10 percent of the country's energy requirements

A new page is turned by the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, which was planned within the scope of the international agreement signed with Russia six years ago, the fate of which became ambiguous following the jet crisis with Russia. When completed, the plant will have four reactors each producing 1,200MW of electrical power and will meet 10 percent of the country's energy requirement with a total energy production of 4,500MW. The project, which will have a 60 years operation span, is expected to be revived in 2022.

Turkey will sit at the table with Rosatom

Following the normalization process with Russia restarting after the downing of the Russian jet and President Erdoğan's meeting with Russian leader Putin on Wednesday, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was given the status of strategic investment. In this context, talks with Russian energy giant Rosatom are expected to start soon. Turkey will sit at the table with the Russian energy company in a new bargaining method to be implemented for the first time in Turkey.

The company will be asked to state its demands

During meetings to be chaired by Prime Minister Yıldırım and attended by relevant ministers and Rosatom administrators, incentives that can be given in accordance with the company's demands will be discussed.

The government will ask Rosatom to state its demands, and within this scope, reasonable suggestions, such as land, interest rate support in return for loans, tax exemption, accessibility and energy discount, will be evaluated.

While Turkey's interests will be the priority in the meetings, the company's reasonable demands will be satisfied as well.

Turkey and Russia can use their own national currencies in mutual trade, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on the results of his visit to Russia, Haberturk newspaper reported Aug. 12.

Erdogan believes that the use of national currencies in trade instead of dollar will benefit both Russia and Turkey.

Turkish president intends to increase the trade turnover with Russia, including up to a record figure – $100 billion. He made this statement on the results of negotiations with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Aug. 9 in St. Petersburg.

“We reached the trade turnover of $35 billion, but after the November 2015 events it dropped to $28 billion, then even lower,” said Erdogan. “We have such a mechanism as the higher level of cooperation, which involves the strategic cooperation between the two countries.”

“We had a goal to achieve the turnover of $100 billion,” he added. “It is topical and we again want to achieve it with the help of this mechanism.”

The trade turnover between Turkey and Russia amounted to $8 billion in 1H2016, while this figure was $10-11 billion in the same period of 2015.

The owner of the money museum which is located in the city of Gaziantep in southeast Turkey, Esat Kaplan, told Sputnik about his desire to give Vladimir Putin banknotes that were issued in 1910 in Czarist Russia.

Kaplan pointed to the close historical ties between Russia and Turkey. “At a time when the foundations of the republic of Turkey were being laid, Lenin provided substantial financial support to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,” the owner said.

He further said, “We want to present Mr. Putin with a gift, Russian bank notes, which we have kept for 25 years. I hope that I will be able to transfer the money through the mediation of Mr. President, Erdogan.”

Kaplan said that in his museum there are about a dozen banknotes both from Tsarist Russia and the Soviet period.“My biggest dream is to personally present these banknotes as a gift to Mr. Putin. It would be a great honor for me. I would also like to prepare an exhibition in Russia, where everyone could see a collection of the historical banknotes. Hopefully, this would contribute to the further strengthening of friendship between our countries,” Kaplan concluded.